The Poetry of Diversity and Inclusion

Poetry is one of the many ways I lose myself, reconnect, and feed my creative side. Few people know that I write poetry or that I compose music. These creative outlets allow me to tap into my emotions, spirituality, and ancestral guides.

Lately, I have written several blogs on equity, diversity, and inclusion. These concepts in action (or inaction) cause folks to feel stuck, energized, exhausted, and confused. Our institutions can be advancing forward or backwards.

Below are two poems I have written that convey my own personal emotional journey with these terms and how they operate in higher education and beyond. Enjoy and contemplate.

Potential employers do not greet me in mi idioma natal and they cannot ask about my race, sexual orientation, religion, national origin, gender, political affiliation . . . but their intake surveys can

I want the job because of WHO I am yet they cannot hire me because of who THEY think I am

The census is no better The government doesn’t care about MELos sin vergüenzas only want my data My male Latinx Black and White cishet mishmash ass is just another point among all the data

What would it cost someone to ASK me “Who are you?” What would it mean for someone to LISTEN? At what point will we stop seeing each other as data? When will the system care about ME?

What connects us is not data What brings us closer is our stories

Sin miedo – without fear share your story and ask others to compartir - share listen without interruption with full respeto

Accept their story for their story is theirs and theirs alone we could never know it except if we listen and we find the rhythm of humanity that que runs corre deep profúndamente within por dentro

So, now you are ready to listen to my story Who I am What my purpose is in life And why I am here Sharing mi historia with you

One & the Same

I have been searching for the elusive one we call DIVERSITY

Have you seen them?

Yes, Diversity is plural, a cosmic and radiant group They are hard to miss look at any college website or company brochure Everyone seems to love Diversity, embrace Diversity

Yet, when I visit that college campus or business I ask, “Where did diversity go?”

They tell me, “Oh, there she is” or, “That’s him right there”

Diversity is no longer plural, no longer cosmic or radiant

Diversity looks dull, demoralized, burned out, tired of being singular
tired of being alone tired of the world of isms

I still have hope that I’ll see them again, somewhere

Now, I search for Inclusion They are certainly plural And related to Diversity by blood

You may have seen Inclusion They tend to be in positions of power, or at least they are valued stakeholders I ask,

“Where might I find Inclusion in this organization?”

They point to her

I blink my eyes, adjust my glasses, and I see a familiar face It is singular Diversity again